Once Upon a Time: Storytelling for Marketing

Posted on 05/08/2017

Once upon a time there was a wonderful small business that provided valuable services and innovative products to meet their clients’ needs. But, it had to learn all about the scary new world of marketing in order to truly understand how to grow even bigger and stronger, so it could continue to help others.

Storytelling is a powerful tool, and when it comes to small business marketing, it can be even more impactful than we often consider. Your brand has a purpose, and telling that story is a valuable content marketing tactic. How can you use storytelling to grow? Today, we’re going to learn how.

Storytelling shares your truth.
The stories you tell should be as authentic as possible. While storytelling is a powerful content marketing tool, getting trapped in a lie can severely hurt a business. Marketing Week advises that a brand’s story is not something businesses should refer to just when they launch a marketing campaign or issue a press release.

Rather, it should be the foundation on which a future growth strategy is built. How did the business originate? What is its mission? What are its values? How has it stayed true to those values and mission? These are all incredibly authentic, truthful stories that need to be shared with those interested in a business.

Storytelling builds your personality.
According to Fast Company, 92% of consumers want brands to share advertisements that tell stories. Brand storytelling shows a business’s personality, mission and values. It says who you really are and what is most important in the company. In today’s online world, a brand’s personality is almost as important as the actual product or service they provide. Storytelling is a useful outlet to let this personality shine through and engage consumers on a personal level.

Storytelling establishes relationships.
Storytelling brings in your audience and establishes an emotional relationship with those seeking a product or service. It shows a business as a relational, transformative, trustworthy entity—not just a money-hungry corporation. When consumers see a brand’s story, they feel drawn to it in the same way they’re drawn to other storylines, like movies, T.V. shows or music. And when consumers are drawn in and feel connected, that relationship continues to grow stronger as they learn more and more about a business.

Storytelling sets you apart.
Your business brand is unique, and telling your story is a great way to set that brand apart from the competition. Tell what makes you important, valuable and better than others in your field. Why are you the leading expert in an issue? Why should consumers purchase your product over another? When you tell the story or your brand, you set the business apart by showing its distinct origin, foundation and direction.

Storytelling drives action.
Finally, storytelling drives action for a business brand. When consumers see a brand’s personality, feel a relationship with it and see how it sets apart from the crowd, they will feel more inclined to do something—sign up for a mailing list, use a service or buy a product. This is the power in storytelling. Its unique content marketing strategy engages consumers on their level, then encourages them to seek more information and get involved.

In the end, the small business learned how to use storytelling in its marketing strategy, and grew even better at reaching clients, building its consumer base and helping others. And they all lived happily ever after.